I HAD the great pleasure of knowing the late Ted Rowe, the highly-respected, long-serving mace bearer (Obituaries, August 8) in the 1970s when I was then elected.

Ted was a great inspiration to all who came into daily contact with him, more so the many young children and visitors interested in the history of the mayor’s parlour and Town Hall itself.

Ted served many mayors between 1951-85. He served the town when we were a county borough, only then to see, in 1974, the demise of the county borough, which was given borough status in Ted Heath’s ‘year of the charter’, 1974, when we became part of Dorset, moving out of Hampshire.

I think it was 1974 when the then serving members, with Ted in the back row, as always, smiling, had the final photo taken in what was the Town Hall’s Grand Hall, all demolished for the present extension.

Ted was a lovely man and many hold very great memories of a true and caring man.

CLLR RON WHITTAKER, Throop and Muscliff ward, Bournemouth Borough Council